1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to patient transport systems, and more particularly, to a patient transport system for transferring an immobile patient from a bed to a gurney or vice versa.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It appears to be widely accepted that a major, if not the major, work-related complaint among nurses and hospital nursing staff is back injuries caused by lifting patients and getting them in and out of a bed and to and from a gurney or a stretcher as it is commonly referred to. A survey of existing practices and techniques suggests that there is no widely adopted simple and safe method of transferring patients from a bed to a gurney, or vice versa, without lifting them. There are hoist-type lifts where the patient is suspended in a sling. The sling must be first manipulated under the patient and then the patient must be physically lifted, changing the shape of the body and applying pressures different from those existing on the patient when lying prone in bed. There are also roller boards which are inserted partially under the patient and then the patient is pulled onto the roller board. Again,, the patient must be manipulated to allow the board to be inserted and then the body is pulled onto the board. In the end, the patient ends up on the board, not on the gurney or the bed. An additional disadvantage of the roller board is that either the patient must cooperate with the transferrer or more than one transferrer is required to effect the transfer. Patients have also been known to drop off the roller boards and to land on the floor between the bed and the gurney.
Also, previous inventions make use of conveyors external to both the bed and the gurney in which the patient is passed from one to the other which results in unnecessary and complex devices and cannot accommodate different sized beds. Such devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,189; 4,776,047; 4,761,841; 3,810,263; 3,769,642; 3,593,351; 3,413,663; 3,302,219; 2,733,452; 2,630,583; 2,536,707; 1,487,171; 1,263,611; 716,886; and 378,220.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to allow a patient, while lying in the prone position and completely immobile, to be moved by one person of relatively low strength smoothly and safely from a bed onto a gurney and vice versa.
It is also an object of the invention to allow a patient, while lying in a prone position and completely immobile, to be moved by one person of relatively low strength, safely from the bed to the gurney and vice versa, and to accommodate various bed lengths with one conveying apparatus.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a patient transport system for a bed or a gurney which can be easily engaged with the bed or gurney and removed.
The invention is an apparatus for transporting a patient that includes a base, a patient supporting member attached to the base, a conveyor secured (either fixedly or removably) to the base, and a sheet. The sheet has a first end and a second end, where the first end is attached to the conveyor. The sheet is adapted to be positioned onto the patient supporting member. The base and the patient supporting member can form a bed, a gurney or an apparatus that converts from a gurney to a wheelchair or vice versa.
The conveyor includes a roller rotatably secured to the base, where the roller can be made of graphite fibers, aluminum, fiberglass or steel. The roller includes a first end and a second end. The sheet first end is attached to the roller and two bearings which are removably and rotatably secured to respective first and second ends of the roller.
Each bearing includes a first leg and a second leg attached to the first leg. The first and second legs define an open ended roller receiving recess that receives an end of the roller. A tip extends from one of the legs into the roller recess. Preferably, the tip extends from the first leg, which includes an inner surface having a first section and a second section, where the tip extends at an interface of the two sections. The second leg includes a first segment and a depending second segment. The second segment is secured to the first leg. Inner surfaces of the first segment, second segment and second section define a roller engaging recess. The second section inner surface is concave shaped.
A pair of collars are provided on both ends of the roller, wherein the bearings are received between the collars.
The sheet is removably attached to the conveyor by a flexible strap having one end releasably attached to the roller and the other end releasably attached to the sheet. Preferably, a clip is releasably secured at one end of the strap for attaching to the sheet. The clip can include a body defining a slot and a plug received in the slot. The plug is adapted to sandwich and bind a portion of the sheet between the plug and the body. The length of the strap can be adjusted. Preferably, Velcro(copyright) fasteners are provided on an end of the strap and along the length of the roller so the strap can be releasably secured to the roller.
The roller can be provided with a telescopic arrangement so that its length can be adjusted, wherein the roller includes a first longitudinally extending member that slidably receives a second longitudinally extending member with a recess defined in the first longitudinally extending member. Preferably, the recess has the same geometric shape as a cross-sectional shape of the second longitudinal member. A segmented handle can be attached to the roller. An annular member is slidably received by the second longitudinally extending member and a flexible strip is secured to the annular member.
A tube can be attached to the base and a post can be attached to the bearing, or vice versa. The post is slidably received by the tube so that the bearing is removably secured to the base. A pawl and ratchet arrangement can be secured to the roller and bearing to prevent the roller from rotating in a defined direction.
The invention can be used on a bed, a gurney or a convertible gurney that converts from a gurney to a wheelchair.
The invention is also a method for transporting a patient from a bed to a gurney or vice versa using the above-described conveyor including the steps of: placing a sheet on one of the mattress of the bed and the patient supporting surface of the gurney, positioning the patient on the sheet, attaching the conveyor to the other of the bed and the gurney having the sheet, positioning the gurney adjacent to the bed so that the conveyor is along a side of the other of the gurney and the bed, the side being furthest away from the one of the bed and the gurney having the sheet, removably attaching the sheet to the roller, rotating the roller and thereby winding the sheet around the roller, moving the patient on the sheet from the one of the bed and gurney toward the roller onto the other of the bed and the roller, and removing the roller from the one of the bed and the gurney.
The present invention is also a flexible strap for use with the above-identified apparatus that includes a flexible body having a first side, a second side, a first end and a second end. Hook type fasteners are positioned adjacent the first end and the second end on the second side of the strap. A loop type fastener is positioned between the hook type fasteners on the second side of the strap. A hook type fastener is positioned on the first side of the strap, wherein the hook type fasteners on the second side of the strap are adapted to form strap loops with the loop type fastener on the second side of the strap.
The method can also include the steps of attaching the sheet to straps secured to the roller and adjusting the length of the straps after the patient begins to be moved on the sheet so that all of the straps are taut.